Calling all medical smartypants! I need some advice... My mom is in the hospital in Missoula (I'm in Seattle) with a collapsed lung. I've done a bit of googling, but I just don't have a good sense of how serious this is. Hoping someone with some experience can chime in.

It happened a week ago as a result of an aspirated ibuprofen (do you believe that?), complicated by her emphysema and general bad lung health (quit smoking 10 years ago but smoked for 38 years). They did the standard chest tube tx and she was doing well but then it collapsed again. Now, she is going to get surgery on Thursday to repair the hole because it apparently isn't healing on its own.

At first I wasn't so worried. Yes, it was serious but she got to a hospital and was stable and it doesn't seem like your basic collapsed lung is that tricky. But, this two-steps-forward-one-back business worries me. I'm trying to decide if I should fly out there to be with her or just wait until she's home (she was on a road trip when it happened; my folks live in Central WA).